Explained | Cattle slaughter ban controversy in West Bengal; how new rules hit Eid cattle trade across state

The BJP government in West Bengal, shortly after coming to power, issued a public ordinance to implement the 1950 law as well as a 2018 Calcutta High Court order banning the slaughter of animals under the age of 14 in the state without a veterinary certificate.

According to the order, “No person shall slaughter any animal in this manner (bulls, bullocks, cows, calves, male and female buffaloes, buffalo calves and castrated buffaloes) unless he obtains a certificate that the animal is fit for slaughter.”

Based on the notification, the head of the village or the head of the panchayat together with the veterinarian may issue a joint certificate of determination of the animal as fit for slaughter.

This order has now caused great consternation among those in Bengal who depend on selling their cows before Eid for a considerable income. Cow markets across Bengal are now seeing stunted activity due to the new government regulation.

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At Polerhat Goru Haat, a cow market in Bhangar in South 24 Parganas, where nearly 2,000 cows would be sold every day before taking orders, only a few dozen cows can now be seen, according to an Indian Express report, which is also ahead of Bakr-i-Eid.

What are the main problems that cow sellers face?

Determining the animal’s age became the most fundamental problem. There is no well-established mechanism to help determine the age of animals. Accessing the authorities to obtain a certificate of fitness for each cow is also a daunting task.

One cow dealer who felt this way told IE: “…I planned to sell nine of the 10 I bought after borrowing ₹1 lakh from the bank and ₹5 lakhs from a moneylender… I heard that only animals above 14 years old and with a health certificate can be sold for slaughter. How do I know the age of my pet? Where can I get such a medical certificate?… I don’t know anything.’

While cow markets are seeing weak business, Kolkata’s Rajabazar sheep and goat market is seeing good business. Sheep and goats were not included in the list of animals in the government decree, and although all animals require a veterinary certificate for slaughter, enforcement is light for goats and sheep.

An IE report reveals that the price of beef has now skyrocketed in Kolkata ₹280 to around ₹600 per kg.

Bhangar MLA writes to CM Suvendu

Naushad Siddiqui, MLA from Bhangar and Indian Secular Front (ISF) leader has written to Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari in this regard. In his letter, he urged Adhikari to ensure that veterinarians are deployed at the panchayat level to provide fitness certificates for these cows. Siddiqui pointed out to the CM that the order has harmed both Hindus and Muslims of his constituency.

In his letter, Siddique also mentioned that “…Section 12 of the West Bengal Control of Slaughter of Animals Act, 1950 empowers the State Government to grant exemption for the slaughter of animals for religious purposes”.

There is also confusion over the designated places where animals can be slaughtered during Eid. Congress leader and former union minister Adhir Chowdhury has also written to the CM in this regard.

Chowdhury said the government should “identify and demarcate specific places where people can practice customs associated with the religious faith they profess”.

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State slaughterhouse closed

The Calcutta Beef Traders Association pointed out that the state-run Calcutta Tangra abattoir was closed for two days, leading to a further hike in prices. “We have not received any notice. Only two animals (both buffaloes) are slaughtered here every day, that too for the needs of the Kolkata Zoo,” a member of the association told the publication.